Arrowpoint Innzone

"That girl is usually awake that early," I remark, reluctantly pulling from Marnin. I forget my original motive for standing - a clean change of clothes - and instead crawl back into the bed, sinking against the pillow as Marnin straightens the sheets and new blanket.

"I hope he doesn't," I frown a bit as I scoot toward Ljuba so I can put an arm across her waist with a tired sigh. "Bother her, I mean... the man is an idiot when it comes to pretty girls, but he's a downright masochist when it comes to his poths. He just got out of that mess of a relationship with Becca, I really don't know if I can bare to witness him falling for another apothecary."

"I d'know," I shrug, smiling at the gentle way his arm settles over me, "She seems nice. A little off, and maybe impulsive, but sweet. I think you were asleep last night, but they were flirting when I finally dozed off."

"I hope she is," I say through a yawn. "Cael's a good guy, he deserves a good woman. Or even just a good fling that doesn't end disastrously. His Echo stuff gets him into no end of trouble, I swear. It's either people like Becca who are using him for it, or just the average girl next door that he tries to hide it from so it won't be an issue - but of course it is an issue. No sane person wants anything to do with his lot. I wish he'd just meet another Echo, honestly. I don't care if it's against the law for them to be together."

Sighing, I twist under his arm, settling beside him so I can watch as my fingers trail across his front.

"Teagan seems harmless enough," I say, "but I don't know them like you do..." Frowning, I shift onto my side, a leg sliding over his as I tuck my head against his shoulder. "I wouldn't have even seen her and Jean coming, so maybe I'm not as astute as I like to think."

"I don't know that I really saw that coming, either," I frown as I bring my hand up to trace across the smaller scars that fan out across her cheek. "It makes sense, though, I guess. Jean kind of strikes me as someone with an addiction issue, and Teagan is pretty, in a weird kind of way. I don't really like her face... it's too sharp, throws off all the glimpses I get from her. But I guess for a sex addict in an emotional slump, I could see the appeal."

"I'd be flattered you find her unattractive if you weren't quite so blind," I tease quietly, trying to ignore the pang of guilt that thinking of Jean sparks.

"And I d'know what would be normal for Jean anymore, it's been a really long time since we last knew each other... And even six years ago, we weren't on the best of terms." I frown, "A few months before she died, Jean and I had this huge fight. He wanted me to leave him alone, he wanted me to move out of her apartment. They were getting back together, and he told me he planned on marrying her. Begged me not to mess it up...

I frown at that, a faint flush coming to my cheeks as I feel a little flicker of arousal at the thought of her being a little homewrecker when she was younger. I already feel guilty for being put at ease - and maybe even a little turned on - by her admission about her attraction to her father. Now I feel worse knowing that the reaction isn't just from the stimulus of our fooling around.

Smiling weakly, I turn to catch his lips, kissing him tenderly as I let my leg smooth up his. The vast expanse of bare skin between us incites my heart beat to pick up, my hands smoothing over his chest and his neck.

My forehead rests against his as I let my lips pull from his briefly, my voice airy and light. "When was the first time you were attracted to me?" I ask weakly, eager to fill my head with pleasant memories.

"Ah," I laugh nervously, my cheeks going hot as I turn my gaze up to the ceiling to think about it. "Um, I don't know... the first time I was really consciously aware of it I think was our first bad snowstorm. When the power went out in your apartment and you had me walk with you to bring your stuff over to mine. You remember? When we both slipped on the ice and I tried to catch you but wound up hitting my face on your elbow instead. I think we laid out in the snow for a good ten minutes just laughing until our clothes were soaked through. It was freezing even with my power working and I wound up getting sick because I was too nervous to change out of my wet clothes with you in the apartment, but still... it was such a good night, I didn't want it to end."

I can't help but smile as I rest my arms on his chest, my chin resting there as I look at him. I've gone a bit misty-eyed, laughing quietly as I nod.

"That was it for me, too," I say, "I felt so bad for elbowing you, I thought I'd broken your face." I laugh, reaching up to let my fingers run along the cheekbone I'd hit years ago. "Your eye swole up, hardly fazed you. Instead, you saw to it I had dry clothes and we stayed up by the fire all night."

"Yeah," I laugh, smiling fondly at the memory. "You fell asleep with your head on my shoulder... I think it was the first prolonged contact we'd had. I remember because it scared me to death, but I still drank it up. I sat there all night, too afraid to move because it might wake you and then you would have moved."

"I'm sorry I was so shut off for so long," I whisper, scooting up just slightly so I can kiss his jaw in apology. "I was convinced if I lived like that," I continue, pausing to kiss at his jaw and neck each time I take a breath, "I'd be safe from losing people... I was so wrong."

"You wouldn't have lost me," I murmur as I return her kisses, my heart racing every time her lips brush across my neck. "I'd have just continued to pine after you and subtly orchestrate ways to see you... like my power going out or running out of wood for the fire. If I'm being perfectly honest..? My power has never gone out. Not even when I left for awhile. I just shut off the breakers."

"Yeah?" I ask, grinning sheepishly as I let my hand wander to her hip as I kiss her softly. "Well, in that case, I never ran out of firewood, either. I get it for free from Mick because I help him deal with the wolves every spring."

I laugh at that, the sounds catching in my throat as I feel his hands smooth over my rump. I use my knee to try and hoist myself off of the bed, his fingers gripping at me as he pulls me back to lay over him.

"I bet your water mane didn't burst, either." I grin against his lips.

"I may have exaggerated a leaky faucet," I grin as I kiss her a little more languidly, my teeth grazing across her lip as I relish the contact. "I really did break the bedroom window, though. That's not why I came over that day, though. I was just having a bad day and I wanted to see you. I always want to see you."

"Remember when I said I'd heard someone get mugged in the stair well..?" I ask softly, "One of the first times you ever stayed at my apartment - must've been five or six years ago...." I'm already grinning at the confession, my legs tangling in his as I can't help but wiggle over him to find the most comfortable position.

"You stayed with me for the entire weekend, on my couch," I continue, my head settling in beside him as I kiss as his jaw, "I'd heard a cat, on my balcony, in the middle of the night, but I was too embarrassed to admit I was just afraid of the dark..."

I laugh at that, my head falling back in amusement as I tighten my arms around her fondly. "I looked everywhere for that mugger!" I grin. "It took me over a week to consider that you must have been mistaken, and when I sat outside your building one night, I heard a couple of cats and some birds moving around on the balconies. I thought that had to be what you heard, but I didn't want to embarrass you by saying so."